


Years in Passing (Juhaku Week 2016)

by juhaku, strahl



Category: Magi - Fandom, Magi: The Kingdom of Magic, Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: JuHaku, JuHaku Week, Lies, M/M, Peaches - Freeform, Promises, Separation, imperial - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-17
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-24 16:26:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7515098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juhaku/pseuds/juhaku, https://archiveofourown.org/users/strahl/pseuds/strahl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is my participation in Juhaku Week 2016, short writings set in canon, about the relationship between Judal and Hakuryuu to fit the prompts. Thanks to everyone in the community who is participating in or spectating Juhaku Week, this year is going to be a good one!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Separation

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be participating in Juhaku week each day this year, or i'll be trying, at least. I haven't written anything in advance, so most of these will be day before/day of writings. Luckily, I have my editor Alva (juhaku) to help me out here. The things I write won't be my usual 1000 word minimum, due to the demand and strain of writing a thing for every day. Thanks for reading, cheers to this year's Juhaku week!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 1 Prompt:  
> Separation or Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was incredibly difficult to write, as I recently injured myself. I'm alright, but my back, shoulders, and arms are incredibly sore. Sorry for the short chapter! Thanks for reading.

Hakuryuu laid alone in bed, earlier than he would have normally. Most early nights were spent training, strategizing, talking; all with Judal. He hadn't slept alone in months, and the recent attempts lead to pain beneath his sleepless eyes as he watched the sun rise above the horizon.

Each failure at rest hurt more than the last, he was becoming desperate and weak at the fear and shock of the future he would have to bear on his own. 

Every night since their separation has been taking a toll on Hakuryuu's mental and physical health, the uncertainty and anxiety of rethinking the loss of one of the only people he genuinely cared about. His lack of sleep made him sluggish, left his body in pain. He spent entire nights, years in passing, wondering where Judal is, if he is even alive, if he suffered. Hakuryuu never got an answer.

Slowly, Hakuryuu relearned the harsh feeling of loneliness. Ruling alone, knowing no one but Judal had ever fully supported him and his actions. He could say he had completely failed, although he did accomplish what he wanted even if it was for a small window of time. The motivation Judal had given him crumbled and faded before he could fathom it. Surges of magic at times taunted him, as if he was still rooted to Judal. As if the netsumegusa was still able to connect them despite the distance and years between them. 

He learned crying himself to sleep was effective. He let out his anger, frustration, and exhaustion in this way. The same way he used to. He slept with too many blankets, too little clothing, as if he were a child again. He locked himself away for hours on end, not allowing servants to tend to him or anyone to speak to him after a certain hour. It was reminiscent of the other losses in his life, leading to isolation and desperation. 

He felt as if he were separated from his other half, the only aspect that made him feel complete. Hakuryuu often felt as if he were a truly incomplete man, more of his body being artificial than flesh and bone. He felt as if his power was not truly his either, as Judal was the source of his being. He realized far too late that what he had felt for Judal was stronger than anyone before. Judal's 'idle interest' in Hakuryuu was much more, on late nights Judal would often speak words of confession to Hakuryuu. 

Hakuryuu regretted that the most, not spending more time with Judal. Not returning the confessions, although he did develop an intimate relationship with Judal. He was afraid, afraid of his feelings and that turned into him pushing Judal away and focusing wholly on himself. He stayed close to Judal, Judal loved to spend time with him. But, he could never bring himself to proclaim their closeness publicly. 

He heard from time to time that people suspected that Hakuryuu was simply using Judal for his powers, and that he would dispose of him soon. Hakuryuu felt the opposite, felt as if he could dispose of the entire kingdom if it were to bring the man he loved back. He was able to admit to himself that he was in love with Judal, so many years after Judal had.

Now, they have been separated for nearly six years, and Hakuryuu is finally ready to begin his searching. The taunts of Zagan's magic have become a signal of hope, Hakuryuu is willing to do anything to reunite himself with the person his heart has been aching for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	2. Imperial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 2 Prompt:  
> Funeral or Imperial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A chapter about Judal and Hakuryuu's imperial clothing.

Robes too tailored, expertly crafted to mirror the atmosphere of the empire prior to the incident; those are the feelings the clothing staring back at him embodied. He reached down to touch the lengthy folds of fabric draping down his body, gold trim rubbing against his fingertips. Judal felt deja-vu at the familiar discomfort of the lengthy sleeves and thick, heavy, decorated robes reserved for a magi of the Kou empire to wear.

Beside him, Hakuryuu shifted in his equally extravagant garb, toying slightly with his collar and shifting his gaze to Judal.

"All ready?" Hakuryuu asked, glancing up and down at Judal. "You look like a fidgety child again."

"Shut it," Judal snaps, turning to the mirror once more to straighten out his clothes for another time. "This doesn't suit me."

Hakuryuu continued to look at Judal as he tidied himself, and he reached up to finger at his cap. He gave a small laugh, looking down, muttering, "Not at all."

"It's too much clothing!" Judal complained, waving his covered arms.

Hakuryuu crossed the room, and he slipped his finger into the belt holding Judal's midsection. "I've never seen you in this much clothing," Hakuryuu joked.

Judal glanced at Hakuryuu out of the corner of his eye, smirking. "I know," he teased, "We both prefer less, I guess?" Judal watched Hakuryuu to gage his reaction, and Hakuryuu stopped touching Judal to raise his hand and lightly smack him on the back of the head. Judal spun, raising his hand and getting ready to retaliate. 

Hakuryuu was sure this scene looked ridiculous, an emperor and his magi play-fighting before an important speech soon to be delivered. They both were laughing, glad to ease some of the tension before such an event. Hakuryuu hated to admit, he did feel quite nervous. Judal was acting strange as well, Hakuryuu had never seen the other man so unsure of himself.

Though now suddenly vaulted into one of the highest positions a man could hold, Judal saw that he was still the same old Hakuryuu who cried sometimes while picking flowers. The same royal child who was too scared to climb peach trees with Judal, the same Hakuryuu who treated Judal as a friend rather than an item.

Once the laughter between the two died down, they both knew it was time to address their newly acquired empire. Hakuryuu knew an attendant would be arriving soon to check on them, but he figured he had enough time to help calm Judal's nerves.

Hakuryuu slipped his hand into Judal's sleeve, grabbing his hand and squeezing it lightly. "We actually did it."  
Judal smiled lightly, uncharacteristically. He reached up and touched the beads draping around Hakuryuu's face, twirling the strand around his finger.

"I knew you'd make it," Judal praised him, admiring his own work, "As my king."


	3. Peaches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 3 Prompt:  
> Bitterness or Peaches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm so late, this chapter is quite long. I'll try to get every prompt filled, I might need a day or two to keep up, since I am writing this as the days go by.

Judal spent most evenings outside: partially spiteful of the multiple demands he stay inside and work on unsettling magical practices, partially because he truly enjoys watching Hakuryuu in his late afternoon training sessions. He usually lounged on the well-designed ornate roofs, too high for his supervisors or any servants to reach him.

He was content to lie here most of the day, legs dangling over the edge, head tilted enough to get a decent view of Hakuryuu sparring with someone he did not recognize. He yawned after a while, repositioning his arms to fold them under his head and lie back on them, closing his eyes. 

He was tempted to simply fall asleep just then, if it weren't for the clanking of metal on metal, which Judal assumed could only be Hakuryuu's blocking or attacking. He also felt a slight, dull pain in his upper abdomen he could only identify as hunger, which meant he would have to get up sometime to obtain food. 

He groaned sleepily, changing positions again to lie flat on his stomach for a few minutes. He finally mustered the energy to pull himself up and leaned on his elbows. He was glad to discover Hakuryuu was done with his practice, and was currently laying up against a tree speaking with his sparring partner. 

Judal waited a few minutes for the conversation to finish up before finally caving into his boredom. He rolled over onto his back and sat up to tend to his clothing before hopping down off of the ledge. Judal wasn't stupid; he made sure to hold onto his braid and catch himself with a small gust of wind magic before impact. 

His bare feet grazed smooth garden stones as he trotted and glided along the path to one of his favorite areas in the kingdom. The brief voyage brought him to a vast area shaded heavily by tall, winding fruit trees, mostly consisting of peach and plum trees. 

Judal was allowed to eat anything he wanted here, as a magi, and intended to do so. He scoured the garden to find a decent candidate to host a late afternoon nap, finally finding a decent sized peach tree that suited his needs. A small, easy climb led to him nestling himself in a crevice atop a thick, sturdy bough.

He gazed at the branches above him, reaching up to pluck a ripe, plump peach off of the stem. He wiped it on his pants to clean it a bit before taking a gracious bite. He wiped at juice dripping down his chin with the back of his hand, being careful to keep the white cloth draped around his shoulders pristine. 

A few more minutes and he had finished the first fruit, tossing it over his shoulder as he leaned up to search for another. A moment of searching yielded less than satisfactory results, as most of the peaches were not ripened to Judal's preference. He sighed, leaning his head back against the branch, and he took a final glance at the orange skies before slipping his eyes shut.

His stomach now somewhat appeased, he longed for a decent rest. Magic really drained his energy fast, especially when being so high in demand so often. Sometimes, it felt endless, the new magic and commands he had to put up with. He rarely got a full night's sleep, whether it be from being forced to work all day so long the magic ebbed away at his body so far that he passed out from exhaustion, or from the persistent rukh buzzing about.

It didn't take long for Judal to fall asleep, nor did it take long for him to be awakened. 

"Judal," an exasperated voice called out, no response. Trying once again, now substantially, he heard in a hushed voice, "Judal?" 

Judal really just hoped they would go away, he really wasn't ready to get up yet. He was finally able to rest, and he was sure it was no longer than a few hours. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter, turning over, trying to find reconcile in his bedsheets. 

He found out with a hard slam to the ground on his shoulder that he was, indeed, not in his bed. His eyes shot open, his body lying in the grass, pain shooting up his injured shoulder. He clutched his shoulder, focused enough to give it a quick dose of healing magic, and relaxed as his body slowly began to heal itself. He sighed, laying his head on a soft patch of grass, closing his eyes again to try to fall back asleep before it was too late. 

He heard a yelp, then stomping in the grass beside him. He felt quite annoyed, tired of this entire situation. He really just wanted his rest.

"Judal? Are you alright?" Hakuryuu asked, leaning down to touch his shoulder. Judal now realized whose voice was beckoning him down from the tree, no one other than Hakuryuu. Of course, Hakuryuu would come looking for him if he wasn't back in his bed by nightfall. For some reason, Hakuryuu always checked up on him late at night. Whether it be to soothe his own nightmares or find comfort in being near another person, Judal didn't know.

He did know it always felt best not to sleep alone.

"I'm fine," Judal waved him off, batting away his hand as he rose up onto his elbows. "It's a lot darker than I thought." Judal took note of the sky, now a deep purple, with the moon and stars shining brightly enough that he could tell he was out far too long for Hakuryuu's taste.

"You promised you wouldn't do this again," Hakuryuu sighed, helping Judal up to a sitting position. "You really shouldn't stay out this late on your own," Hakuryuu chided, eyebrows knit.

The look in Hakuryuu's eyes was enough to make Judal grin. He loved to do things like this, even if Hakuryuu acted like a scornful mother of a devious child. He wished Hakuryuu would join him in excursions like this, carefree and without any hesitation. 

"I got tired while waiting for you to finish your sparring," Judal explained, with a yawn. He rubbed at his eyes sleepily, mildly regretting the fact after slowly remembering he was still wearing makeup.

"You actually waited this time," Hakuryuu teased, offering a hand to help Judal, who was still sitting on the ground, "instead of just getting impatient and interrupting me, hm?"

"I should have just joined in," mumbled Judal, allowing himself to be pulled up by the younger boy.

"Come on," Hakuryuu said, fingers brushing Judal's, "I'm really tired from training."

Judal smirked, lacing his fingers with Hakuryuu's, "Do I get to sleep in your bed, then?"

Hakuryuu blushed and looked away, always irritated when Judal would pull something like that. Judal knew what Hakuryuu was implying, and was just trying to pry it out of him. Hakuryuu usually gave in, but this time, he didn't. He only covered his face, held tightly onto Judal, and led him to his bed chambers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 4 Prompt:  
> Promises or Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kind of sad and short.

Judal hoped Hakuryuu hadn't lied. He hoped all of the promises they had made together withstood time, throughout all these years and separation. Hakuryuu's promises of staying by his side, promises of being his king, promises of working towards their shared future together. Promises of a better life, for the both of them. Promises of a chance at finally being able to do what he wanted, instead of being treated like an inhuman tool.

During those years alone, after finally returning to the world, he had heard news of Hakuryuu's exile and the chaos of the Kou empire after his own disappearance. Judal wished he could have been there by Hakuryuu's side; surely everything would have gone their way. They could have accomplished even greater things. Judal felt like he was too suddenly taken out of the action, suspended right when it had just begun.

Their long path was far from over--killing Gyokuen was only the start. Judal wondered if Hakuryuu ever accomplished his other goals. Had he killed Kouen? Had he gained power over the empire like he wanted? Judal wished he had known. He hated being in the dark in this sense, not knowing if Hakuryuu ever made it.

Judal wandered the earth alone for years, abandoned and rendered valueless in this new world he was thrown into that no longer needed magi. He heard news of Sindria and was wholly shocked by the supposed extensive use of magical tools and confiscation of metal vessels. He knew his magic wouldn't be as valued as it was before.

Not many people seemed to recognize him anymore, he was frail and weak. He often stayed covered, wearing a long coat and hood as to hide his body, face, and hair. Soon enough, he didn't have a way to obtain food. He slept on the streets, became desperate for money, for help. Outing himself as who he truly was would most likely leave him imprisoned, a dark magi such as himself would not be treated with respect. The world had changed, and he had no time to adjust and no way to cope.

He couldn't feel Hakuryuu's presence, that is what truly left him in this state. He didn't want to take the personal failure onto his own shoulders, he didn't want to believe that Hakuryuu was gone. He was far too weak to try transport magic of any sort, and he didn't have a single idea of where to search in the first place. He knew he was far too weak to search for Hakuryuu on his own; if he were stronger he could have searched.

He felt like Hakuryuu had only given empty promises for their future. There was nothing to tell him Hakuryuu was even alive. The black rukh no longer tied them together as it did in the past, which left Judal with a hollow, painful feeling. He would give anything to know for certain that Hakuryuu was alive. It was illogical to even have hope in Hakuryuu's continued existence, but Judal depended on it. He clung to it scared, alone, and powerless. He felt trapped within himself, with nowhere to go.

This pain was reminiscent of the helplessness he had felt in the past, locked in dark rooms and cultish rituals. Hakuryuu had saved him before and once again, he was Judal's only option.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
